Unit 3 - Collaborate

Welcome to Unit 3! So far, you've learned about the foundations of educational technology. You explored Google Workspace for Education tools and other tools that can be used to facilitate learning and you read a bit about meaningful learning with technology, universal design for learning, ISTE standards, and general knowledge about classroom technology integration. Then you wrapped all of your new knowledge into writing about the connections between what you'd learned and how that connects with the ISTE standards for student learning with technology. Not bad for the first 1/3 of the semester.

In Unit 3 you'll look at the ways technology can support communication and collaboration in classrooms. You'll connect this back with your readings from previous units and new readings from this unit. But most importantly, you'll have an opportunity to find new tools to support your own learning.

For this unit, our primary focus is communication and collaboration. Critical thinking is an important concept throughout all of our units and we'll focus on creativity and innovation in Unit 5. Now that you've had some background information on the 4 Cs - let's look at some tools that can help support communication and collaboration in the classroom.

Part 1: Explore the Tools (1 pt.)

There are several sections of communication and collaboration tools to explore in your textbook. It's also important to note that all of the tools you explored in previous units could also be classified as communication and collaboration tools. Take a few minutes to learn about a few more tools on the following pages (for now, just read each short section overview and become familiar with the different tools listed in each section):

• Blogging and Website Building p. 65

• Collaboration and Project Management p. 79

• Interactive Posters p. 136

• Podcasting p. 190

• Speaking and Discussion p.227

• Writing p. 268

Part 2: Reflect on Your Experience (4 pt.)

After you've become familiar with the tools in the 6 sections listed above, think about a project you had during last spring or fall semester. How might that project have been different if you used one of the 6 types of tools you've just explored? What if you created a podcast for a reading response? What would it have looked like if you'd created an interactive poster for a presentation you were assigned? How might one of the writing tools have improved an assignment you had last semester? Select a previous project and a relevant communication/collaboration tool and provide us with a demonstration of what the finished product might have looked like if you had used this tool.

For instance, you could: write the beginning of a blog post on a former research paper topic, create a Padlet that you could have used for a class discussion during a presentation you had fall semester, design a ThingLink to label some diagrams in preparation for a test, or share course materials through one of the collaboration tools. You can even look back at the Presentation section of your textbook (p. 193) and create a Sway about a topic from a spring semester class.

The main requirement is that you try something NEW to you. And that you share something new with us from one of your classes from last year. You don't have to recreate the entire project - just give us an idea of how it might be different if you used a different tool.

Once you've created your example - add a link or a screenshot (whichever makes the most sense for the tool you selected) to your Collaborate webpage and write 4-5 sentences describing what you created and what you learned. Make sure to include the name of the tool you selected and a link to it. And don't forget to publish your page.

Now that you have some experience using a number of tools that support communication and collaboration, it's time to apply what you've learned in a K12 setting.

Part 1: Write a Scenario of Your Own Classroom (4 pt.)

1. Read back through the "Look Inside the Lives of Three Tech-Enhanced Teachers" that you read in your textbook previously (in Unit 1). Each of these three teachers - Mara, Tim, and Denise - use technology to support, among many things, communication and collaboration in their classrooms. Take some time to identify the tools they are using specifically to support communication and collaboration.

2. Now, think about a teacher you've had recently. A teacher that would be open to new ideas and technologies. This could be a teacher you had in K12 or in college. What kind of communication and collaboration resources does that teacher already use? What new tools might be useful to them? Take a few minutes to jot down the type of work you did in that course and which tools you've learned about in previous units that might be useful to that teacher and the students in their course. What would it look like if these tools were used in the class/by the teacher you've identified?

3. On a new Google Doc, write a "look inside the life" of the teacher you've selected - using the examples you have read in your textbook. You may identify the subject area in your story - but do not identify the actual teacher (you can make up an appropriate name). The story should include at least 5 examples of communication and collaboration tools and how they support the tasks that happening over the course of the semester. The textbook examples are approximately 5 paragraphs each - yours should be similar in length and detail. Insert this Google Doc onto your Collaborate webpage (remember, there are instructions for how to do this correctly in Task 3 from Unit 2 - if you don't follow those instructions, I won't be able to view your work.)

Part 2: Create a Resource Page (4 pt.)

1. Now you're going to take what you wrote about in your "look inside the life" story and create a resource page for all of the tools and activities you described. This resource page will contain links, tutorials, ideas, connections to teachers using the tools. Remember, you may identify the subject area on your resource page - but do not identify the actual teacher.

2. Your resource page should be built in Padlet. You can see a simplified example here. There are many tutorials available and here is one for reference. You can sign in with your Google account and you should be selecting the free version of Padlet (you can make up to 3 padlets for free).

Your padlet should contain the following items:

• All of the communication and collaboration resources that would be useful for your selected teacher that you shared in your "look inside the life" story.

• At least one item related to connecting to other teachers that use one or more of the tools you've listed (i.e. teachers on social media - found through relevant hashtags. See #studentvoice as an example)

• An audio or video overview of why you've chosen these tools (remember, you can post all types of media in your padlet - including audio and video).

** About Wakelet, I recently found it as a free alternative to Padlet and this is my first time using it. If you have used up all 3 free padlets, you may try this out. Here is a video tutorial on Wakelet. You are welcome to use other similar tools as well. I look forward to learning from you :)

TIP: All of your readings/videos for this unit (Guide to the Four Cs, textbook readings) will help you with ideas for all of this. But if you're still stuck, email me with the name of the course for which you are writing the story and resource guide and I can help.

For this task, you'll continue to synthesize what you've learned about educational technology so far and how it supports communication and collaboration. You should probably re-read what you wrote in Unit 2 for the CONNECT paper in preparation for this task. You'll write this on a new Google Doc and it should be 4-5 paragraphs (no longer than 6 paragraphs). If you want more writing tips - here's a link to some suggestions.

First - think about the terms you wrote about in Task 1: critical thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration, creativity, and innovation. Write about how your understanding of those terms has changed after this week's readings and exploration work. How can students and teachers use technology to support the four Cs? What can you share from your very first week's reading that relates?

Next - connect what you've worked on this week to the ISTE standards you viewed last week. How do the 4 Cs relate to the ISTE standards?

Finally - what is your current understanding of the role educational technology can play in helping students and teachers to communicate and collaborate? How can these tools support meaningful learning? (References to specific tools and readings here are a good idea.)

Don't forget to share the document before you insert it onto your Collaborate page (or I won't be able to view it).